Charas: the hand-rubbed hash of the Himalayas
By the Golden High teamUpdated 29 October 20268 min read
Resins of the world
Charas is a Himalayan hash made by rubbing living cannabis flowers between the palms, right on the plant: the resin sticks to the hands, then it's rolled into balls or sticks. That gesture, rather than sieving dried plants, is what sets it apart from the hash of Morocco or Afghanistan. Here's where it comes from, how it's made, what gives it its texture and why it holds a special place in the history of hash.
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A soft, pliable golden-brown resin with spicy and red-berry notes over an earthy base.
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A black resin with an amber core, soft, with a woody, earthy and spicy profile in the spirit of traditional hash.
From6,90 €View product →The definition
Charas, a hash from living plants.
In India and Nepal, the word charas means cannabis resin. But above all it refers to a specific method. At harvest time, the grower takes the flowering tops still attached to the plant and rolls them between their palms. The resin glands, the trichomes, burst and leave a sticky film on the skin that darkens with each pass. It's then scraped off and pressed by hand.
The encyclopaedia sums up the difference in one sentence: classic hashish is made from dead, dried plants, while charas is made from living plants. Everything else follows from that, from texture to taste.
- Raw material: fresh flowers on the standing plant, no dried plant material.
- Tool: bare hands, no sieve and no machine.
- Shape: balls, sticks or patties pressed by hand.
- Regions: the Indian Himalayas, mainly Himachal Pradesh, and historically Nepal.
New to the world of resins? Start with our basics article: what is hash. It explains where resin comes from and how it's separated from the plant.
Charas from India
Charas from India: the Parvati Valley.
Cannabis grows wild along the Himalayas in northern India, which is considered one of its places of origin. The most famous charas comes from the state of Himachal Pradesh, and especially from the Parvati Valley in Kullu district, around Kasol, Rasol and Malana. Kashmir and Nepal also have a long tradition of production.
Malana is a case apart. The village is governed by a council tied to its deity, Jamlu, and traditionally forbids visitors from touching its people, houses or temples, on pain of a fine. Its economy long relied on hemp: ropes, baskets, sandals, and a resin that eventually became, under the name Malana Cream, one of the most famous hashish varieties in the world.
Geographer Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy notes that Malana Cream “is not what it used to be”: large-scale production has taken over from quality.
What the sources say
Hand rubbing: little resin, lots of time.
Rubbing is a slow, low-yield technique. That's what makes good charas rare, and it also explains the huge differences in quality from one ball to the next. Here are the most solid benchmarks.
P.-A. Chouvy · Cannabis Now, 2016
A careful rubber needs a full day to produce half a tola, about 5 grams, of the finest charas, or 10 grams of good-quality charas. A day of fast, heavy rubbing can yield up to 50 grams, but of mediocre quality, loaded with plant debris.
P.-A. Chouvy · Cannabis Now, 2016
In the Parvati Valley, as early as 1994, more than three quarters of production came from cultivated cannabis rather than wild plants: charas had become a fully fledged agricultural crop.
Indian Hemp Drugs Commission · 1893-1894
This major inquiry by the government of British India studied ganja, bhang and charas. At the time, charas was sold legally, including in government-licensed shops.
NDPS Act · India, 1985
Indian law defines charas as the separated resin, in whatever form, crude or purified, obtained from the cannabis plant. It prohibits its production and sale.
The takeaway is simple: the name “charas” guarantees nothing. Between a carefully rubbed ball and one churned out on a production line, the difference in purity is considerable. References at the bottom of the page.
Versus sieved hash
Charas vs sieved hash: two different worlds.
Most of the world's hashish, from Morocco to Lebanon and Afghanistan, is made from plants that are harvested and dried, then sieved to separate the trichomes before pressing. Charas skips both the drying and the sieve.
| Charas | Sieved hash | |
|---|---|---|
| Plant | Living, still standing | Harvested and dried |
| Separation | Rubbing between the palms | Beating and sieving the dried plant |
| Typical texture | Soft, sticky, oily to the touch | Crumbly to compact depending on pressing |
| Colour | Dark brown to black | Blond to brown |
| Yield | Very low, a few grams a day | Higher, done in volume |
| Examples | Parvati, Malana, Nepal | Morocco (Ketama), Lebanon, Afghanistan |
For the Moroccan side, read our article on Ketama hash. And if you're into modern solventless methods, rosin works on a different principle: heat and pressure.
The textures and colours given are general trends: they vary with the plant, humidity, pressing and storage.
Charas hash
Why charas hash is so soft.
Because it comes from fresh plants, charas keeps some of the oils and moisture of the living flower. It often comes as soft balls or sticks that you can work between your fingers. That's also why it keeps less well: exposed to air and heat, it hardens and loses its aromas.
- To the eye: a dark surface, often shiny.
- To the touch: pliable, slightly sticky, warming up quickly in the hand.
- To the nose: a profile that depends on the source plant, often described as earthy and spicy.
- Red flags: a grainy texture or visible fibres point to sloppy rubbing, full of debris.
This kind of soft, dense texture is exactly what many resin lovers in France look for. Our Delta-P resins aren't charas, but some play in the same register, like the Olivette Delta-P 35 %, soft and spicy.
Charas hashish
From Shaivite ritual to prohibition.
Charas has been used for centuries on the Indian subcontinent, for medicinal and religious purposes. It holds an important place in some strands of Hinduism, especially among Shaivites, and is still smoked by sadhus. Its legal status, however, flipped within a few decades.
1893-1894
The Indian Hemp Drugs Commission studies cannabis in British India. Charas is sold legally at the time, including in government-licensed shops.
1961
The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs schedules cannabis and its resin. India is given 25 years to phase out non-medical use.
1973
In Nepal, the licences of Kathmandu's cannabis shops are revoked under international pressure.
1976
Nepal passes a law banning the cultivation, sale and consumption of cannabis, charas included.
14 November 1985
India's NDPS Act comes into force: producing and selling charas and ganja becomes illegal. Bhang, made from the leaves, remains tolerated.
In between, the 1960s and 1970s turned charas into a Western myth: the “Hippie Trail” took young Western travellers all the way to Kathmandu, where Nepalese resin was sold legally. Charas became famous far beyond Asia, and demand changed the way it was produced.
And in France? Charas contains THC: in France it's a controlled drug, whatever its origin or production method. Only hemp products under 0.3% THC are tolerated in France.
At Golden High
The spirit of charas, in Delta-P.
We don't sell charas. Our resins are Delta-P products, made with CBDX, under 0.3% THC and lab-tested. But if you like soft textures and dark profiles, two of our products come close in character.
Olivette Delta-P 35 %
Soft, pliable golden-brown resin that crumbles easily. A spicy, red-berry bouquet over an earthy base.
Black Hasch Delta-P
Black resin with an amber core, soft and slightly shiny. Woody, earthy and spicy profile with a subtle hint of sweetness.
The Black Hasch Delta-P and the Olivette sit alongside all our other resins in the Delta-P hash collection. As always: adults only, start with a small amount, and never before driving.
Your questions
What people ask us about charas.
What is charas?
Charas is a Himalayan hash made by rubbing living cannabis flowers between the hands. The resin that sticks to the palms is scraped off, then pressed into balls or sticks.
What's the difference between charas and hash?
Classic hash is made from trichomes sieved from dried plants. Charas comes from living plants, rubbed by hand, with no sieve. It's generally softer and oilier.
How is charas made?
At harvest time, the flowers on the standing plant are rolled between the palms. The resin builds up on the skin, then it's scraped off and pressed by hand. A careful rubber gets about 5 grams of top-quality charas a day.
What is Malana Cream?
It's the name of the charas produced around Malana, a village at 2,652 metres in a side valley of the Parvati, in Himachal Pradesh. It was long considered one of the best hashish varieties in the world.
Is charas legal in India?
No. The NDPS Act, in force since 14 November 1985, bans the production and sale of charas in India. Only bhang, made from the leaves, remains tolerated.
Where is charas found?
In the Indian Himalayas, mainly Himachal Pradesh (Parvati Valley, Kasol, Malana), in Kashmir and historically in Nepal. In France, charas contains THC and remains a controlled drug.
Why is charas so soft?
Because it's made from fresh plants, which keep their oils and moisture. Stored badly, it hardens and loses its aromas.
Sources
The references cited in this article.
- Chouvy P.-A. (2016). Himalayan Highs: The Art of Hand Rubbing Hashish, Cannabis Now.
- Wikipedia. Charas.
- Wikipedia. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
- Wikipedia. Cannabis in India.
- Wikipedia. Cannabis in Nepal.
- Wikipedia. Malana, Himachal Pradesh; Parvati Valley.
